To Be a King
by Lady of Stormness Mountain
Summary: Movieverse. The year away from Narnia spent in the drab and war torn England changed Peter more than he knew. A boy who became High King became a normal boy again. How does Peter realize all he was and could be...full summary inside. Please review!


Summary: _Movieverse. _The year away from Narnia spent in the drab and war torn England changed Peter more than he knew. A boy who became High King became a normal boy again. How does Peter realize all he was and could be when a Prince in danger summons the Kings and Queens of Old?

Disclaimer: _The Chronicles of Narnia_ belong to the incomparable C.S. Lewis, not to me.

* * *

To Be a King

A year. It had been a year. One painful, sorrowful, horrible year. Every moment seemed an eternity of heartache. Dreams of what he had been haunted his sleep, and an aching longing to return to _his_ world plagued every waking moment. So many sleepless nights Peter wandered to that spare room in the Professor's mansion to sit in the back of the dark wardrobe and shed the tears of anguish he never let anyone else see. Every breeze whispered "_Narnia_" to him; mocking his inability to change what was. He had been a king; the High King of a land more beautiful than anything the ordinary world had to offer. He had been revered and idolized; a mighty warrior and masterful ruler. Here he was nothing.

So Peter withdrew inside himself, becoming but a shell of he whom Aslan named "Magnificent". His brother was once his closest friend and most trusted advisor who had fought by his side countless times, but instead of reaching out to Edmund, Peter pushed away. He tried so hard to prove that he was not a child, but all he ever gained were bruises and despair. He never saw Lucy's sunny smiles of encouragement, or Susan's quiet commiseration, or Edmund's silent support.

His broken soul cried out _"Why?"_

Finally, the day that he had been longing and hoping for came. He was back in his beloved realm with Rhindon at his side. But so much had changed. His heart now ached for Narnia's oppression and for friends he would never see again. At least now, he thought, he was king again.

He tried to lead his companions on a perfect course to Caspian's camp, but could not. When they finally found Caspian's camp, he knew it was not because of him. Caspian's words _"We thought you would be older"_ stung him, and repeated in his head. Peter decided that _he_ would win the war, and show that he was not a child, but a mighty warrior once again.

At the Narnian war council he knew his plan would work. It had to, so he blazed recklessly on ahead.

Lucy saw the change. She tried to remind him, and bring him back to himself, but her admonition fell on deaf ears.

That night the raid began perfectly. They infiltrated the castle and no one was the wiser, but it was not to last. Everything fell apart before his eyes as Telmarine guards poured into the courtyard.

Susan told him it was too late, but he ignored her.

"_No! This has to work!"_ he cried to himself.

During that hard fought battle in the dark and misty courtyard he realized he couldn't win. Finally, he swallowed his pride and sounded the retreat all too late. Amid a deluge of cruel crossbow bolts he mounted a horse and fled for his life. He had barely escaped when Asterius, the poor, brave Minotaur, was killed beneath the heavy portcullis, trapping the rest of his troops inside and dooming them to certain death.

"_No!"_ his heart cried._ "No! This can't be happening!"_

He felt his heart tear in half as he saw that his pride and folly had brought the deaths of so many brave soldiers who had trusted him. Peter barely heard Caspian call that the drawbridge was closing.

"_I should be with them." _His tortured soul cried as he looked back.

As they traveled back to Aslan's How, the words of King Lune of Archenland that he had heard so long ago rang in his head:

"_For this is what it means to be a king: to be first in every desperate attack and last in every desperate retreat…"*_

He had failed. He was not worthy. How could he have done this? he thought.

Peter lashed out, trying to place all the blame on another's shoulders. He knew, though, deep inside, that Caspian was only half to blame.

When he heard of Nikabrik's insidious plan, he leapt into action to stop him, but as he shoved Caspian out of the White Witch's icy grasp, the words she spoke pierced his heart.

"_You know you can't do it alone." _

He felt himself numbly lower the sword, reluctantly seduced by the disgust of his own weakness, but it was thankfully not to be. Edmund's sword put a fitting end to her wickedness and duplicity forever.

Hours later Peter sat by the Stone Table, gazing at the carving of Aslan on the torch lit wall deep in thought. His heart finally melted, and he realized what a fool he had been not to trust in Him.

Lucy, dear Lucy, tried to comfort him, and for the first time in a long year, he let her. He realized that the reason he failed was that he had tried on his own. He went up to Aslan's likeness and kneeled, finally ready to rely on Him.

The boy who knelt was Peter Pevensie of Finchley, England, but the man who rose was Peter the Magnificent, High King of Narnia forever.

That moment, Peter promised that he would fight to his dying breath for Narnia and _for Aslan._

_Fin  
~_

* * *

* _The Horse and His Boy_

Author's Note: The movie may not have followed the book, but it provided so many opportunities for further character development that I couldn't resist. I thought that they didn't do Peter's character justice, and I wanted to expand upon the feelings he must have felt. Constructive criticism is always welcome, please, please, please review!


End file.
